Window strip installation and fastener for the same



March 28, 1939- I w. H. CHURCHILL WINDOW STRIP INSTALLATION AND FASTENER FOR THE SAME Filed April 2, 1957 Biz // [nae-afar.

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. the like to a supporting structure and installaa and the window pane (Fig. 2), as will be under- Patented Mar. as, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WINDOW S'IRIP INSTALLATION AND FAS- TENER FOR THE SAME Wilmer H. Churchill. Sauna, Mala, asaignor to United-Carr Fastener Corp ration, Cambridge, Mass a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 2, 1937, Serial No. 134.531

3 Claims. (Cl. 24-43) My invention relates to an improved fastener member for attaching a window guide strip or tions of the same. v

Referring to the drawing, in which I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top view of a window channel frame support and a window guide strip secured to the support by means of my improved fastener member;

Fig. 2 is a section taken along the line 2-2 .of Fig. 1 with a window pane also shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the installation shown in Fig. 1 with the support omitted;

.Fig. 4 is a rear view-of my fastener member before attachment;

Fig. 5 is a front view of the fastener member shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a top viewof the fastener member shown in Figs. 4 and 5; and

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the fastener shown in Fig. 5.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, yet efficient, fastener member for attaching a flexible strip or the like to a supporting. structure. The supporting structure with which my fastener member is particularly adapted to be used is of a type preferred by certain automobile manufacturers providing a supporting portion having a,.stud-receiving aperture substantially adjacent to an obstruction, such as a right-angular bend in the material of the support (Fig. 2),. whereby a minimum amount of clearance is available for a portion of my fastener which is in gripping engagement with another article. Through reason of the fact that my improved fastener member is especially useful for purposes of securing a window guide strip to a window channel-supporting structure, I prefer to describe it in connection with such an installation although it is not the only installation with which my fastener member could be employed.

Referring to Figs. 1-3; which illustrate the preferred use of my invention, I have shown a fragment of an automobile body in the form of a window channel frame I, preferably constructed in a way to provide a strip-supporting portion 2, and a flange portion 2 extending from the support 2 in substantially right-angular rela tion to the support, as most clearly shown in Fig. 3. The inside face 3 of the supporting portion 2 bounds one side of the channel through which a window pane I (Fig. 4) is moved during the raising and lowering of the same. A flexible strip I is attached to the support I and positioned so as to shield in an effective manner the passage between the inside face 3 of the support i stood by those skilled in the art. Any suitable strip may be used, but in my preferred installation I have shown a strip of substantially elongated shape in cross-section and provided with ametal stiffening core i for preventing too great flexibility of the part. A nap means 1 is provided along one edge of the strip I on the side facing the pane ,4. A portion 8 (Figs. 2 and 3) of the body of the strip adjacent the oppositeedge of the strip from that along which the nap means 0 is disposed is adapted to be ripped by a portion of a fastener member, in a manner to be hereinafter described, so as to secure the fas; tener to the strip. 1

The strip I is attached to the frame i by means of my. improvedfastener members which are provided with a yieldable head in the form of a hollow boss portion 9 extending through an aperture iii in the support portion 2 and engaging the material of the support 2 adjacent the aperture, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. For purposes of manufacturing design, the aperture ll is disposed substantially adjacent the junction of the support portion 2 and the rightangular extending portion 2- of the frame I. My improved fastener is preferably constructed with the socket-engaging portion and strip-gripping portion so disposed in relation to each other, when the fastener is secured to the support, that the outermost point of the strip-gripping portion is substantially even with a plane of a line tangent to that point of circumference of the aperture ill nearest the frame portion 2- whereby my fastener is capable of satisfactory performance even through the angularly extending portion extends from the support portion 2 at points substantially adjacent the aperture i0. Through reason of the particular construction of my fastener member. it is capable of satisfactory use with a channel frame of the type described whereas fastener members, now in common use, for securing a window guide strip to a support of the type providing an unlimited amount of clearance near the aperture of the support would be unable to carry out the aforementioned purpose'due to the fact that in each of the known fasteners the portion gripping the guide strip is offset laterally so great a distance relative to the socket-engaging portion that it would be impossible to secure it to the particular channel frame illustrated in my present invention.

Referring in detail to my preferred fastener member per se, I have shown a simple one-piece device having a base II and a-hook-shaped portion integral with one side of the base and extending beneath the base as shown in Fig. 7. The hook-shaped portion II comprises a neck portion l2 intesl'al with said side of the base and a clamping portion II adjacent the end of the neck portion I 2 and disposed beneath the base II for clamping the strip 5 against the base. The clamping portion I8 may be provided withvprongs II (Fig. 5) at its outermost free end to provide a more secure gripping means on the strip 5. As a means for attaching the fastener to the support 2, a shouldered socketengaging head portion I4 is pressed from the base I l. The head portion is made resilient by a single slit II extending entirely through the head portion andinto the base II and the neck portion and clamping portion of the hook-like portion. The head portion is thus divided by the slit into two petals I. having substantially the same contour and cross-section. Qpposed free edges of the petals l8 adjacent the aperture ii, at that side of the base II with which that side and the free edges of the petals I8 I the hook portion is integral, extend from the base II substantially adjacent the junction of the neck portion I! with the base and in alignment therewith. For purposes of facilitatingmanufacture of my fastener and gaining space for the purpose described above, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, a portion of the side of the head portion near the hook portion is cut away with the result that the head portion is substantially straight sided on adjacent the slots I! at that side are further apart than on the other side of the head portion which is necked as shown in Fig. 2. In order that the hook-shaped portion may be easily bent.

during manufacture of the article, and, also, when moved into clamping engagement with the strip 5 during assembly, the slot 8, in my preferred form, is gradually widened from a point adjacent the junction of the neck portion I2 with the base I I to its end disposed in the clamping portion I'l.

Assembly of the parts of my installation is a relatively simple matter and is carried out by moving the strip 5 into the space between the clamping portion I3 and the base I I and then striking the clamping portion by a suitable tool so as to move it in the direction of the base II. As a result of this action, the free end portion ll of the clamping portion engages the material of the strip and the strip is firmly gripped between the base II and the clamping portion (Fig. 3). As many fasteners as are needed to secure the guide strip in position may be assembled with the strip in the manner just described. The fasteners are assembled with the strip so that when the strip is brought into position for attachment to the frame support 2, a fastener will be approximately opposite the opening I 0. Finally, the guide strip is secured to the support by moving the head portions of the fastener members through the apertures of the support whereupon the tapering shoulder portions of the petals portion, a head portion in the form of a hollow I boss extending upwardly from said base portion and a hook-shaped portion extending from one side of said base portion, said head portion having only a single slot extending entirely therethrough and into said base portion and said hook-shaped portion whereby said head portion is divided by said slot into two yieldable petals joined only by the base portion for snap fastener engagement with a cooperating socket device and said head portion being straight sided on a side thereof adjacent to where said hook-shaped portion joins said base portion and being necked on the opposite side.

' 2. A snap fastener member comprising a base portion, a head portion extending upwardly from said base and a hook-shaped portion extending beneath said base, said head portion having an distance between opposed free edges of said petals adjacent said opening at an opposite side of said head portion.

3. A snap fastener member comprising a base portion, a head portion extending upwardly from said base and a hook-shaped portion extending from one side of said base, said head portion having an opening extending entirely therethrough and into said base and said hook-shaped portion, said head portion being divided by said opening into two resilient petals for snap fastener engagement with a cooperating socket device, a side of said head portion near said hook-shaped portion having a cut-away portion and said head portion being substantially straight sided adjacent to said cut-away portion, opposed free edges of said petals adjacent said opening at the side of said head portion near said hook-shaped portion and the junction of said base and said hookshaped portion being in substantial alignment for the purposes described.

WILMER H. CHURCHILL. 

